1. Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to a technique that may improve a frame rate based on motion estimation using division or coupling of a hierarchical block.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a motion estimation technique between image blocks in a video sequence may be imperatively performed for image processing, such as a Frame Rate up Conversion (FRC), an Interlaced to Progressive Conversion (IPC), etc. in digital signal processing. This motion estimation technique may compare, using a block matching algorithm, a previous frame and a current frame, that is, two consecutively inputted frames, by a block unit, to thereby estimate a single moving vector per block. In this instance, the moving vector may be estimated using a motion predictive error value, and motion compensation may be performed using the estimated moving vector estimated in a motion compensation process.
In a conventional motion estimation method, motion estimation is applied by a fixed type-block unit, and thus the moving vector may not be accurately estimated due to a boundary or a closed area where a motion different from a previous motion is generated in a corresponding block, whereby the motion estimation error may be increased.